The present invention relates generally to gaming machines and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for adapting a gaming machine for use with a coin hopper or a ticket printer.
Gaming machines typically include a cabinet and a locked barrier panel for covering and thereby securing internal elements within the cabinet. The internal elements may, for example, include various machine components and mediums of monetary exchange, such as bills, coupons, coins, tokens, etc. Depending upon the needs of a gaming establishment, the cabinet may contain either a coin hopper or a ticket is printer.
On the one hand, coin hoppers are popular in casino gaming establishments. If the cabinet contains a coin hopper, the barrier panel may be formed with an integral small slot for conveying coins dispensed from the coin hopper into an external coin tray. The barrier panel is disposed between the internal coin hopper and the external coin tray. The small slot allows the dispensed coins to pass through the barrier panel.
On the other hand, ticket printers are popular in lottery gaming establishments and are gaining popularity in casino gaming establishments. If the cabinet contains a printer instead of a coin hopper, the barrier panel may be formed with an integral larger slot for conveying printed tickets dispensed from the printer into the external coin tray. The printed tickets may include information related to meters, machine configuration, machine location, date and time, software version, validation code(s), bar code(s), ticket number, monetary data such as xe2x80x9ccashed-outxe2x80x9d credits and corresponding cash amount, etc.
Thus, as noted above, the gaming machine manufacturer has supplied a first barrier panel with a first slot size for use with hopper-based machines and a second barrier panel with a second slot size for use with printer-based machines. The size of the slot is adapted to the dispensing component (i.e., coin hopper or ticket printer) so that an unscrupulous individual cannot readily access the internal elements within the cabinet via the slot for such nefarious purposes as tampering and theft. The provision of different barrier panels, depending upon whether the machine requires a coin hopper or a ticket printer, adds cost and complexity to the machine manufacturing process and may also require different ancillary components to better secure the internal elements within the cabinet.
Furthermore, to convert a hopper-based gaming machine to a printer-based gaming machine, the barrier panel with the small slot for accommodating coins is replaced with the barrier panel with the larger slot for accommodating tickets. Similarly, to convert a printer-based gaming machine to a hopper-based gaming machine, the barrier panel with the larger slot for accommodating tickets is replaced with the barrier panel with the small slot for accommodating coins. This conversion process can be time-consuming and tedious because it requires removal and replacement of the entire barrier panel, a somewhat unwieldy component, and possibly other ancillary components.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a gaming machine comprising a cabinet, a barrier panel, and a detachable cover. The cabinet includes a cabinet portion containing one of a coin hopper and a ticket printer. The barrier panel covers the cabinet portion and includes an opening proximate the one of the coin hopper and the ticket printer. The opening is sized to accommodate tickets dispensed from the ticket printer. The cover includes a slot sized to accommodate coins dispensed from the coin hopper. The cover is mounted to the opening when the cabinet portion contains the coin hopper. The cover is removed from the opening when the cabinet portion contains the ticket printer.